Body Found On River Fits Girl's Description

Elgin Family Hopes 5th Grader Is Safe

Ten days into their search for a young Elgin girl who vanished from her family's home, investigators announced Sunday that a body fitting the 11-year-old's description had been discovered late Saturday along the Kishwaukee River in rural McHenry County.

Officials were unable to immediately confirm whether the body was that of Brittany Martinez, described by friends as a playful 5th grader from Illinois Park School who became the subject of an exhaustive search starting the evening of May 8. But the similarities between the physical makeup of Brittany--5-feet-6, 140 pounds--and the body that was found were strong, prompting the McHenry County Sheriff's Department to notify Elgin police of the find late Saturday.

"That's why we called,"said McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren.

An autopsy is scheduled for Monday, and investigators have scheduled an afternoon news conference to announce their findings.

The family held out hope late Sunday.

"We don't believe it's her," said Brian Smith, a neighbor and friend who spoke to reporters Sunday night on the family's behalf. "The family's not jumping to any conclusions. They still think she may be out there."

Smith's optimism echoed sentiments plastered on posters on and around the family's apartment building in the 1100 block of Royal Boulevard. A small crowd of friends and relatives kept vigil, refusing to surrender hope.

The family first learned of the discovery about 10 p.m. Saturday. Residents searching for the lost girl in the vicinity of Elgin picked up radio traffic on their CB about the find and returned to the Howlett home.

Elgin police showed up about midnight to confirm the report, followed by a police chaplain who visited and prayed with the family before dawn Sunday, according to Stephen Komie, a private attorney representing Ed Milka, Brittany's 20-year-old uncle. Milka has been questioned, but police said he is not a suspect. At no time were the Howletts told that the body was that of their daughter, according to Komie.

"They're suffering from not being told if it's her or not," Komie said. "On the other hand, they're praying that this is not a tragedy for the family."

Canoeist John Dolan first spotted the body about 7 p.m. Saturday as he and others made their way along the South Branch of the Kishwaukee River, which cuts through Siems Memorial Park just outside Union, approximately 25 miles northwest of Elgin.

According to Nygren and others familiar with the case, the body was discovered atop a sandbar in a narrow stretch of the river about a quarter-mile into the park off Highbridge Road. Nygren declined to release other specifics about the discovery, including whether there were any visible injuries to the victim.

One investigator said the body was at least partially clothed, but that the material was muddied from being in the water--preventing investigators from immediately matching the girl's clothes with the jeans, T-shirt and tennis shoes Brittany was last seen wearing.

Nygren said a visual identification was impossible.

Police have received dental records from Brittany's family, which should enable a private forensic pathologist to verify whether the remains belong to Brittany.

Though declining to estimate how long the body had been caught on the sandbar--cold water slows decomposition, the area is not heavily traveled, and the water line appeared to recede in recent days--Nygren said he believed the body was placed in the water at a different location and became stuck on the sandbar after floating along the river's northern current.

"When you find someone in a river, you have no idea where that body entered the river," he said. "Plus the current is pretty swift."

Locals disputed that observation, saying the current was too weak to carry the body any appreciable distance. Meanwhile, investigators are declining to speculate on other aspects of Brittany's case.

Milka, described by his attorney as "educationally (mentally) challenged," has been interviewed at length on at least two occasions. He was administered a lie-detector test during questioning May 10, two days after Brittany turned up missing, according to a source involved in the case.

The results of the test were unknown, as were forensic tests done on Milka's car, which remains impounded. Komie said he doubts Milka is capable of perpetrating such a crime.

"He's a follower, not a leader," said Komie, who began representing Milka last Monday.

Back at Brittany's home Sunday, the family was more focused on hope than blame.

"She was a likable person," said Smith, describing a young girl who excelled in school and adored basketball. "There was nothing but a smile on her face."